Sheet-feeding apparatus



June 10, 1930. 45M. FOUNTAI N SHEET FEEDING APPARATUS Original Filed Feb. 6, 1928' 4-, ATTORNEK Patented June 10, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JTOSEPH N. FOUNTAIN, 0F WESTFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO OLD COLONY ENVELOPE COMPANY, OF WESTFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAS- SACHUSETTS Original application filed February 6, 1928, Serial No. 252,276. Divided and this application filed February 9, 1929. Serial No. 33:8,852.

This in vention relates to improvements in apparatus for feeding blanks or sheets and the application is a division of an application filed by me on February 6, 1928, hearing Serial No.252,276.

The invention is adapted for broad application wherever it is desired to feed blanks or sheets and is particularly useful where it is desired to feed the same to envelope machinery, printing apparatus and the like.

tion picker forming part of the invention. and

Fig. etis a sectional elevational view taken on the line 44 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings the invention will now be described in detail.

The ap aratus will be described with particular reference to the feed inc of such sheets or blanks as are to be received by an envelope machine or a printing press. Wh le l'llG apparatus is adapted for broad application it will be understood that the term blank as used is not to be construed in a limited way as such a term mav include envelope blanks, liners blanks of all kinds. patches or whatever it mav be desired to feed by means of the apparatus.

In the drawings 2 and 4- represent side frames for supporting the apparatus. hese mav boa-part of the machine with which the apparatus is used or of course may be separate therefrom as is desired.

.A support or table 6 is shown which may fsupport a pile of blanks B in stacked relafor' removal from the stack.

tion so that an uppermost blank is presented A hold down device or devices in the form of a finoer 10 is I van.

arranged to bear on the u permost blank at the forward side thereof and prevent a displacement thereof. This may be suitably supported by a cross bar 12. The support may be elevated in steps in the usual manner so that the uppermost blank is carried against the hold down while a rear hold down 14; may be provided at the rear end of the stack.

A shaft 24; is rotatably in the side frame 2 while a hollow non'rotatable shaft 26 in axial alignment therewith is fixed in the side frame 4. The shaft 24 may be driven by means of a pulley in the ordinary way or suitably con nected by gears or the like to the machine with which the apparatus is used. A shaft 30 journalled in the side frames 2 and i may be gear connected to the shaft 24 so that thev operate in proper timed relation. The shafts have coactina rolls 32 and 34: fixed thereto which are adapted as they rotate to engaqe a blank and feed it forwardly when it is delivered thereto by the apparatus now to he described.

A hollow blank lifter 4O having a pair of depending arm portions 42 and 4?) has a portion 41 intermediate said arms which is iournalled in the disc 32 near the periphery th oreof and an end portion 44 iournall d in a disc 46 fixed to the end of said shaft 24.

As the roll or disc 32 rotates the l ft r iournalled therein is carried th erebv and held in a generally radial position with respect thereto bv means of the followinn'.

An extension 48 of the lifter 40 carries a roll 50 which rides on a cam surface 52 formed in a circular hub 54 of the side frame 2. A spring 56 havinsr one end connected to a pro iection58 of the lifter and its other end to a pin 60 on the rear face of the dis 46 tends to swing the lifter relative to the disc 46 and roll 32 in a counter-clockwise direction so that the roll 50 will engage with and follow the cam surface.

As the roll 32 rotates counter-clockwise and carries the blank lifter therewith the arms 42 and 4-3 of the lifter extend in the radial direction described so that the ends thereof bring up asra inst the uppermost blank of the stack as in Fig. 2. A curved or raised portion 64 of the cam surface. shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, and against which the i1 roll contacts is arranged to move the lifter clockwise with respect to the roll 32 and disc 46 and raise the ends thereof as shown by dotted lines 42A. The lifter being hollow and connected to suction means the uppermost blank will be elevated and its forward end pulled from beneath the hold down 10.

The lifter being thus elevated and rotated for the particular purpose it is subsequently al lowed to swing towards its normal position by a surface 66 of the cam as isshown.'

As it swings back to its normal posltlon and'being rotatedby the roll 32 and disc 42 the end thereof assumes such a position as willcarrythe blank between the rolls 32 and 34, see the dotted line position .42 in .lFig. 2.

The non-rotatable shaft 26beinghollowit maybe connected by means of a pipe .70'to a suction device such: as a pump v(not shown) or the like. A disc 7 8 fixed to the innerend of the shaft .26 has .acentral opening 80 to allow I communication with the hollow shaft and'has secured thereto a plate 82. This plate .ispalso provided with acentral opening 84 and a cutawayportion'86 incommunicationtherewith. The cutawayportion .is in the path of theend 44 ofthe lifter as it is rotated and is arranged so thatthe lifter -is in communication with suction. while it travels past the cutaway and through the anglerepresentedby 00in Fig. .4. The angle and cutaway portion are preferably arranged so that )asthe arm arrivesat the position shown in "Fig-v2 the blank will be drawn against the endof the arms Y42 and .ttby suction and held there until the armsreached the dotted lineposition- 4:2 in Fig.2-where in the-direction of the arrows.

the blank is received by the coacting .rolls 32 and 34and released bv-the lifter.

In operation the rolls 3,2 and 34 are rotated The oscillatable lifteris maintained in" a radial position by being held against the cam by the H spring. As the lifter engagesthe uppermost sheet ofa stack it is incommunication with the source suction so as to suctionally engage said blank. When thus engaged the lifter is caused to swing rearwardly with respect to the.roll 32 or clockwise so that theblankis lifted to free the end thereof.

In position the lifteris carried forwardly so as to feed theblank to the rolls and 'during the latter part ofits movement or directlytherleafter the cam surfacepermitsthe 1 spr ng to returnthelifter toits normal radial position. I 7

Having described the invention inits present;preferred form, what I desire to claim andsecure by Letters Patentisz' I 1. Blank feedingapparatus comprising in combination, a support for a stack of blanks,

a pair of rolls for receiving-blanks, a suction lifter oscillatable on one of said rolls for suctionally engaging a blank andomeans for swinging said lifter rearwardly with respect .so ZLStOQllftltllG same and deliver it between said rolls as it is rotated thereby and means for controlling the application of f3'suct1on:.to the blankby the lifter. I

3. Blank feeding apparatus comprising in combination, a supportfora stackofblanks,

a;pair of coactingrollsffor receivingbl'anks,

a suction lifter Ioscillatablemn 'oneiojf said "rolls for suctionally engaging ablank,a hold .down for'bearing on the uppermost zblank ofl a stack, means for,oscillating*said lifter on said-roll as it is rotated.therebyfor lifting a blank from said stack and deliveringthe sameto said rolls and means for controlling the application of suctionto the'blank 'byfi the suction lifter. i

4, Blank feeding japparatusjcomprising in combination, a 'non-rotatable holl'ofw sh efft for connecting to a source-of suctionya rot-atable shaft in axial alignment therewith, support for a stack ofjblanksa pair'o'f blank receiving rolls, a suctionflift'er'pivoted on one of said rolls and means for maintainingfit in a normal radial position as it is rotated by said roll so 'that itsend'will engage a blank on said stack, meansjfor conne'cting said lifter to saidfhollow s'ha'ft as it engages a blank, means formoving saidlifter angularly of said roll so that a blank engaged there N by'is deliveredto said ro'llsand "for returning it to said normal position aftersaid delivery. 5. Blank feeding apparatus comprising in combination, a" pair "of rotatable coacting blank receiving rolls, a support Ffor stack ofblanks, a suction lifter pivoted on-one of said rolls having an extension "for engaging a blank, means for maintaining'said lifter ina normal radial blank engaging position, means fOlfIIIlOViIlg saidlifterso that its eX- tension is moved rearwardly withr t t said roll asjit engages a blank and for returning to normal position wherebya blank'may be lifted from a stack and delivered'to said rolls.

6. Blank feeding apparatus compri iii i f' combination, a pair of "rotatable coaoting blank receiving rolls, aisupport 'forastatzkof blanks, a suction lifteigpivotedonone-of said rolls. and normally. extending radially'thereof whereby an..end thereofmayengage a 125' blank of a stack,.means for mo-vingsaid lifter angularly with-respect to said roll as. it en- .gages a blank so thatsaidblank may heelevated above said stack and delivered ,tosaid rol s an for turni g t e same'to'its, normal radial position and means for controlling the application of suction to the blank by the lifter.

7 Blank'feeding apparatus comprising in combination, a pair of rotatable coacting blank receiving rolls, a support for a stack of blanks, a suction lifter pivoted on one of said rolls at one side of its axis of rotation, means for maintaining said lifter in a normal radial position as it is rotated by said roll whereby its end will engage a blank, means for for swinging said lifter relative to said roll as it engages a blank so that its blank engaging position moves in the opposite direction to that of the movement of the roll whereby the blank is elevated and delivered to said rolls and means for returning said lifter to its normal radial position.

8. Blank feeding apparatus comprising in combination, a support for a stack of blanks, a pair of coacting rotatable rolls for receiving blanks, a suction lifter on one of said rolls for suctionally engaging a blank on said support, which is arranged for swinging movements on said roll and means for operating said lifter on said roll in one direction for engaging a blank and for swinging it in another direction to deliver said blank between said rolls. 4

9. Blank feeding apparatus comprising in combination, a support for a stack of blanks, a pair of coaoting rotatable rolls for receiving blanks, a suction lifter on one of said rolls for suctionally engaging a blank on said support, which is arranged for swinging movements on said roll and means for operating said lifter on said roll in one direction for engaging a blank and for swinging it in another direction to deliver said blank between said rolls, the said lifter and operating means being operable during the rotation of said rolls.

10. Blank feeding apparatus comprising in combination, a support, shafts rotatable therein, a support for a stack of blanks, coacting blank receiving rolls on said shafts, a suction lifter on one 'of said rolls for engag ing a blank on said support, which is pivoted for swinging movements thereon between different radial positions and means associated with said lifter and first-named support whereby the lifter is swung as it is rotated by said roll.

JOSEPH N. FOUNTAIN. 

